Frank Feighan

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-suffix = TD

| image = Frank Feighan 2024 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Feighan in 2024

| office = Minister of State

| suboffice = Health

| subterm = 2020–2022

| office1 = Teachta Dála

| term_start1 = February 2020

| term_end1 =

| constituency1 = Sligo–Leitrim

| term_start2 = May 2007

| term_end2 = February 2016

| constituency2 = Roscommon–South Leitrim

| office3 = Senator

| term_start3 = 8 June 2016

| term_end3 = 8 February 2020

| constituency3 = Nominated by the Taoiseach

| term_start4 = 12 September 2002

| term_end4 = 24 May 2007

| constituency4 = Administrative Panel

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|7|4|df=y}}

| birth_place = Sligo, Ireland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Fine Gael

| spouse = {{marriage|Elaine Mooney|2014}}

| children = 2

| alma_mater =

| website = {{URL|frankfeighan.ie}}|

}}

Frank Feighan ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|iː|ən}}; born 4 July 1962) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Sligo–Leitrim constituency since 2020, and previously from 2007 to 2016 for the Roscommon–South Leitrim constituency. He served as a Minister of State at the Department of Health from July 2020 to December 2022. He previously served as a Senator for the Administrative Panel from 2002 to 2007 and from 2016 to 2020, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Frank-Feighan.S.2002-09-12/|title=Frank Feighan|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=28 May 2009|archive-date=7 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107185526/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Frank-Feighan.S.2002-09-12|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/ff-leader-selects-three-of-taoiseach-s-11-seanad-appointees-1.2663473|title=FF leader selects three of Taoiseach's 11 Seanad appointees|author=Sarah Bardon|date=27 May 2016|work=Irish Times|access-date=27 May 2016|archive-date=28 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528154546/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/ff-leader-selects-three-of-taoiseach-s-11-seanad-appointees-1.2663473|url-status=live}}

Early and personal life

Feighan was born in Sligo in 1962, but is a native of Boyle, County Roscommon. He is married and has two children. He lives in Sligo with his family.

He took part in the RTÉ charity show, You're a Star in 2006 to raise funds for a children's charity.

In 2008, Feighan appeared on The Irish Times list of TDs with notable private portfolios. Ownership of multiple properties in addition to shares in mining companies, along with shares in financial institutions are listed.{{Cite news|last=Hennessy|first=Mark|title=Fahey tops list of TD property holdings|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/fahey-tops-list-of-td-property-holdings-1.903003|access-date=3 May 2021|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en|archive-date=21 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821155711/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/fahey-tops-list-of-td-property-holdings-1.903003|url-status=live}}

Political career

He was a member of Roscommon County Council from 1999 to 2004.{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=4877|title=Frank Feighan|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=28 May 2009|archive-date=3 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203041501/http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=4877|url-status=live}} Feighan was first elected to the Dáil at the 2007 general election. He was the party deputy Spokesperson on Transport and Education with special responsibility for Rural and School Transport from 2007 to 2010. In July 2010, he was appointed as party spokesperson on Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0701/finegael.html |title=Bruton & Noonan return to Fine Gael frontbench |date=1 July 2010 |work=RTÉ News |access-date=3 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704030628/http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0701/finegael.html |archive-date=4 July 2010 |df=dmy }}

He was re-elected at the 2011 general election. In government he voted with Fine Gael on the Roscommon Hospital issue on 6 July 2011, when his constituency colleague Denis Naughten voted against them and lost the Fine Gael party whip.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0706/roscommon.html|title=Naughten votes against Govt on hospital motion|work=RTÉ News|date=6 July 2011|access-date=6 July 2011|archive-date=9 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809005953/http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0706/roscommon.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/naughten-votes-against-govt-in-roscommon-hospital-dail-motion-511794.html|title=Naughten votes against Govt in Roscommon Hospital Dáil motion|work=Irish Examiner|date=6 July 2011|access-date=6 July 2011|archive-date=23 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120923040036/http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/naughten-votes-against-govt-in-roscommon-hospital-dail-motion-511794.html|url-status=live}} He told the Dáil he was "sincerely sorry" for breaking a pre-election promise in relation to the issue.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/0707/1224300211309.html|title=Naughten defies FG over A&E closure|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=7 July 2011|access-date=6 July 2011|archive-date=12 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112124558/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/0707/1224300211309.html|url-status=live}}

On 13 July 2015, he announced that he would not be contesting the 2016 general election.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/td-frank-feighan-will-not-contest-next-general-election-31373895.html|title=TD Frank Feighan will not contest next general election|work=Irish Independent|date=13 July 2015|access-date=13 July 2015|archive-date=14 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714062921/http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/td-frank-feighan-will-not-contest-next-general-election-31373895.html|url-status=live}}

Shortly before the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union he expressed his wishes for the Republic of Ireland to rejoin the Commonwealth.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/ireland-should-consider-rejoining-commonwealth-fg-senator-says-1.2693804|title=Ireland should consider rejoining Commonwealth, FG Senator says|work=Irish Times|date=21 June 2016|access-date=26 June 2016|archive-date=22 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622131925/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/ireland-should-consider-rejoining-commonwealth-fg-senator-says-1.2693804|url-status=live}}

He was the Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Mental Health and Older People.

In July 2020, following the formation of the 32nd Government of Ireland, Feighan was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and the National Drugs Strategy.{{cite journal |title=Appointment of Ministers of State |journal=Iris Oifigiúil |date=17 July 2020 |volume=2020 |issue=57 |pages=820–821 |url=https://www.irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2020/july/Ir170720.pdf |access-date=15 November 2021 |archive-date=15 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115153100/https://www.irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2020/july/Ir170720.pdf |url-status=live }}{{cite Irish legislation|type=si|year=2020|number=599|name=Health (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 3) Order 2020|date=8 December 2020|access-date=17 March 2021}}

In May 2021, Feighan's proposal to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Ireland was approved by cabinet ministers. Under this legislation, a 10 cent per gram of alcohol minimum cost would be installed, with the minister citing that for example a 70cl bottle of vodka would now cost at a minimum €20.71.{{Cite news|last=McQuinn|first=Cormac|title=Minimum pricing for alcohol to be enforced from January 2022|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/minimum-pricing-for-alcohol-to-be-enforced-from-january-2022-1.4555289|access-date=4 May 2021|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en|archive-date=4 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504183220/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/minimum-pricing-for-alcohol-to-be-enforced-from-january-2022-1.4555289|url-status=live}}

A decision by the Department of Health on the suspension of the North Inner City Drugs Task Force in July 2021 was criticized by the group's director Professor Joe Barry. Feighan, as minister with responsibility for drugs strategy, defended the decision due to "governance shortcomings" in the group. Barry contested that the decision has been carried out to "remove every shred of independence from the task force by taking over the appointment of the chair and the appointment of members".{{Cite web|title=Standoff as drugs task force fight suspension by Department of Health|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40331846.html|access-date=10 July 2021|website=The Irish Examiner|date=8 July 2021 |language=en|archive-date=10 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210710122625/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40331846.html|url-status=live}}

He was criticised in July 2022 after privately meeting with an anti-cannabis lobby group, known as the Cannabis Risk Alliance. Dr. Garrett McGovern said "If Frank Feighan was willing to meet with one group, he should have met another group who are pro-cannabis legalisation and against prohibition".{{cite web|last=McDermott|first=Stephen|title=Anti-cannabis group met privately with drugs minister to discuss possible RSA-style ad campaign|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/cannabis-risk-alliance-meeting-frank-feighan-5817046-Jul2022/ |access-date=18 October 2022|website=TheJournal.ie|date=19 July 2022 }}

He was not re-appointed as a junior minister as part of the 33rd Government of Ireland in December 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2022/1220/1343061-minister-state-cabinet/|title=Carroll MacNeill and O'Donnell promoted to junior ministers|work=RTÉ News|date=21 December 2022|access-date=21 December 2022}}

In March 2024, Feighan supported Simon Harris for the 2024 Fine Gael leadership election after the resignation of Leo Varadkar.

At the 2024 general election, Feighan was re-elected to the Dáil.